看故事学英语:草木皆兵
来源:沪江英语
2012-03-22 07:00
【成语来源】
be afraid of one's own shadow
草木皆兵
In AD 383, the king of Former Qin (秦朝), Fu Jian (fú jiān 苻坚), led a huge army to attack Eastern Jin.
公元383年,秦王苻坚率领步兵、骑兵90万,攻打江南的晋朝。
After losing the first round of fighting, Fu Jian looked down from a city wall, and was terrified when he saw the formidable battle array of the Eastern Jin army.
在一轮战败后,苻坚从城墙俯视周遭,当他看到势不可破的东晋部队,他感到很害怕。
此时,苻坚在寿春城上望见晋军队伍严整,士气高昂,再北望八公山,只见山上一草一木都像晋军的士兵一样,于是更加恐慌。
后来苻坚全军覆没,带着少数残余的队伍逃回去了。
This idiom describes how one can defeat oneself by imaging difficulties.
这个成语后来形容人在极度惊恐时,疑神疑鬼的心理状态。
【文化链接】
英文中“草木皆兵”的相应说法可以用“afraid of one's own shadow”,也就是一个人连自己的影子都怕,当一个人连自己的影子都怕的时候,是不是就是疑神疑鬼,“草木皆兵”了呢~~
我们来一起看一个例句吧~
She stays at home all the time and never makes any new friends. She seems to be afraid of her own shadow.
她老待在家里, 从不交新朋友,感觉“草木皆兵”。